Salt Lake Telegram | 1935-11-19 | Page 7 | Child to Unfold Story of Girl Slaying Father

Child to Unfold Story Of Girl Slaying Father WISE VISE Va Nov 19 UP UP-An UP An year old girl with corn-colored corn lair hair waited today to be called to the witness chair to tell of at a mountain quarrel between her sister and father which ended in death cath and a charge of or murder From this tills girl probably w will Il come words that will mean the difference between prison and freedom to Edith Maxwell who is accused of or beating her fath father r to death with a shoe because he believed believed be- be she had brought dis disgrace race to his name by staying out until unlit midnight with a boy Mary Catherine Maxwell an alert and nd eyed blue-eyed child was one of four persons in her home on the night of July uly 20 when Trigg Ma Maxwell Well picked up p a club and prepared to whip his ol 21 daughter Edith The Theother Theother other ther three were Trigg Edith and Mrs Irs Maxwell all aU of whom were involved in the quarrel Sometime today Edith too will Edith testily Edith who left the mountain moun- moun tame ains to go to school and came back backo to o find herself hersel living in a 8 world where girls go home at 9 p. p m. m Then the defense will wilt rest and 12 men will decide between the old order and the new between the right ight of youth to go go- go goit it its own way and nd the right of oC a father lather to dictate and nd punish Yesterday Edith wept Jia M her mother told what manner of oC man Trigg Maxwell was and why he started the quarrel that cost him his life ife On a n. nearby table was was the brown leather shoe that was used as asa asa asa a weapon Beside it was a bloodstained bloodstained blood- blood stained a rough work worl shirt and a pair o of trousers all lJJ re re- re minding Mrs Maxwell that she had just buried her husband and was lighting for her daughters daughter's free free- dom Mrs Maxwell said Trigg was a considerate husband when he was sober but on that July afternoon she he got a portent of oC things to come when Mary Catherine rushed into the ho house and said Mama my pappy's sitting out there plumb drunk So Edith came home and Trigg rigg was waiting wailing according to Mrs Maxwell with a butcher knife and a club Edith defended herself with a shoe and soon Trigg was lying ying wounded in bed He was kicking a and yelling a Mrs Maxwell said her face haggar haggard haggard hag hag- gard gar with grief and anxiety He kicked over some jars that was filled up with carbide what he used iTt in n the coal mines nines and the blood was pouring a down him I washed the cut that was up In his hair but he was wa just lying there yelling Oh God Almighty look what a damn girl can do to a man A man ought to 0 take a club and kill her I said Trigg shut up and sleep for or youre you're drunk but he said I aint ain by w way y of oC being hurt or Id I'd pay a hospital bilL Well Vell I was In the bedroom when Edith came into the house but bu pretty prell soon I heard her say Pappy r dont don't you cut me with that butcher knife and I went out to the other othe room He had her by the ha hair r o othe of the head and they was yelling a Tri Trigg i backs Edith against th the waland wall wal walland and she grabs grab up a shoe and hits him turn him with It and pretty prell soon he was right smart mart bloody but I didn't figger he was harmful hurt But I guess he was He died Under Virginia Virginia Jaw law Edith can b be acquitted or found guilty of anything anything anything any any- thing from tram assault and battery t to first degree murder Punishment could range from Crom a 1000 fine to th the death penalty